Mystic, historic resort village in the town (township) of Stonington, New London county, southeastern Connecticut, U.S. It lies at the mouth of the Mystic River, opposite West Mystic. Settled in 1654, its name was derived from the Indian missituk (“great tidal river”). From the 17th to the 19th century it was a noted shipbuilding and whaling centre. Fast clipper ships were built there, and from its shipyards the first regular ironclad vessel, Galena, was launched in 1861. Mystic Seaport, a museum-village, reconstructs the sailing ship era, exhibiting along its waterfront the 19th-century whaler Charles W. Morgan (1841) and other ships, including the square-rigged Joseph Conrad (1882). A unique row of old sea captains’ houses is preserved. Denison Homestead (1717) is a museum displaying lifestyles from colonial times to 1900, and Olde Mistick Village is a colonial-style recreation and shopping complex. Mystic Aquarium features more than 6,000 specimens, and its Marine Theatre is known for its dolphin and sea lion shows.

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town (township), New London county, southeastern Connecticut, U.S., on Long Island Sound and the Rhode Island state line. The town includes Stonington borough (incorporated 1801) and the villages of Mystic and Pawcatuck. Settled in 1649 by colonists from Plymouth, it was given its present name in...

constituent state of the United States of America. It was one of the original 13 states and is one of the six New England states. Connecticut is located in the northeastern corner of the country. It ranks 48th among the 50 U.S. states in terms of total area but is among the most densely populated....

any member of a group of Algonquian -speaking North American Indians who lived in the Thames valley in what is now Connecticut, U.S. Their subsistence was based on the cultivation of corn (maize), hunting, and fishing. In the 1600s their population was estimated to be 2,200 individuals.